Only Because It's You
by CSIsnickers101
Summary: Nick asks Sara to be his 'girlfriend' for the day, when his sister comes for a visit. What could possibly happen between them? x
1. Chapter 1

Only Because It's You

Disclaimer - I don't own CSI, or anything else you recognise.

A/N: Told you I'd be back soon. And I'm back with a short, 3 chapter story. I know it's short because I had all 3 chapters written already. So this will be done in a few days, hopefully. It's just a bit of fun really, inspired by the show itself. Enjoy. =)

Chapter 1

"Hey," Sara smiled as she looked up from the piece of evidence she was looking over in the layout room and saw Nick leaning against the doorframe, looking like he had something on his mind.

"Hey," Nick nodded.

"Do we have a lead?" she asked.

"No, not yet. But Brass is looking into potential eyewitnesses," Nick explained.

"Well, are you here to help me go through this or are you just gonna stand there and watch?" Sara raised her eyebrows, a smirk twitching at her lips.

"Right, um, okay," Nick took a deep breath and walked further into the room. He couldn't believe how nervous he felt. This was just Sara. His amazing, talented, gorgeous, rather attractive, co-worker and friend Sara. Urgh.

"So, you're gonna help me then?" she asked, not quite sure if she understood what was going on.

"Yeah, um, after I, uh, after I ask you something," Nick answered.

"Okay," Sara nodded, a confused look on her face. "What's up?"

"Right, um, I'm just gonna come out and say it," Nick stated. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Sara's jaw dropped open as his words sank in. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, will you be my fake girlfriend?" Nick corrected himself, realising how that must have sounded. "You see, my sister's coming to Vegas for a visit with my nieces. And my mum and all my sisters have been going on and on at me for a while now for not having a girlfriend. But when I have one they complain that she's not right for me and when I don't have one they tell my to go out and find one. Anyway, the point is I thought if I could convince you to fake date me for a day that I could convince my sister that I'm with a decent girl and get my mum off my back."

Sara's mouth was still agape by the time Nick had finished his lengthy explanation. Was she dreaming? Or was it actually true? Had Nick really just asked her out, on a fake date? Yep, she had to be dreaming.

"That is, of course, if I _can_ convince you to take me up on this quite frankly bizarre and out of the blue offer. But, please, I, uh… I need your help," Nick added.

"Wow," Sara blinked, finally finding her voice. "You want me to be your fake girlfriend?"

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind," Nick grinned.

"Why me?"

"Um, well, lots of reasons, I guess. But mainly because I know for a fact that my sister, and my nieces, will love you," Nick tried to explain.

"Love me, huh?" she raised an eyebrow. "I don't know about that."

"Well, I think they will," he smiled.

"So how long are your sister and nieces in town?" Sara asked, with a slight sigh.

"So your gonna do it then?" Nick's eyes widened in surprise and excitement. Okay, so maybe he was only fake dating Sara but it would give him a major insight into what the real thing would be like.

"You didn't answer my question," she insisted. "How long are they in town?"

"Just a day," he answered. "My brother-in-law is in California on some business trip thing and he'll be picking them up in his way home. It was my nieces' idea, apparently."

"Just one day?" Sara asked just to confirm it. "I have to pretend to be your girlfriend for one day?"

"Well, you don't have to, Sara, not if you don't want to or have other plans or anything. I'm definitely not forcing you to do it so feel free to say no," Nick added. "Unless, of course, you don't want to say no. If you feel so sorry for me and this terrible predicament I have found myself in, you could… oh I don't know, say yes."

"You're loving this, aren't you?" Sara scoffed, still avoiding his question for a moment. "When are they coming?"

"Next week, conveniently on your night off," he smiled sheepishly.

"So you've been planning this?" Sara raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"I wouldn't say planning…"

"Putting some serious thought into it then?" Sara guessed.

"I suppose I might have asked around to make sure next Sunday was actually your night off," Nick shrugged his shoulders.

Sara shook her head and couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Fine, I guess I did think about it, about asking you to pretend to be my girlfriend. It's kinda a big deal for me. I mean, if I can get my mum off my back for even a week it'll be a miracle," he explained. "So, what do you say? Are you up for it?"

"Oh, alright," Sara nodded, rolling her eyes and trying to focus of the evidence in front of her again. "But just so you know, I'm doing this only because it's you, and because you know that if you try anything funny, at all, I'll kill you. And hide the evidence."

"Yes, ma'am," Nick nodded, trying to stop a smirk from forming on his face. "Scouts honour. I'll be the perfect gentlemen."

"Now, gloves on," Sara instructed, pointing to the evidence in front of her.

Nick winked and did as he was told. Oh yes, being on a fake date with Sara was going to be fun.

The next week went by fairly quickly. Sara surprised herself at how much she was looking forward to going on a date with Nick. Even if it wasn't a real date or they weren't going to be alone at all the whole time they were on this 'date', she couldn't help the butterflies that filled her stomach at just the thought of being with him. And she relished in the fact that it was most likely a one time only thing so she was going to make sure she enjoyed herself and took full advantage of the situation.

Nick sighed as he sat at the wheel of his Denali, waiting for Sara to emerge from her apartment building. They agreed that he was coming over about an hour after shift had ended, after he'd gone home and freshened up. He'd made sure to call ahead, and she'd insisted she only needed 5 more minutes. That was 20 minutes ago. And Nick was starting to get annoyed. Normally, he wouldn't care much if Sara was running fashionably late but they had to meet his sister and his nieces at the airport in just over an hour and he'd learned from experience that traffic was unpredictable.

But thankfully just as Nick was about to get out his car and bound towards Sara's apartment to see what was keeping her, she came out all by herself, wearing an apologetic smile as she stopped next to the driver's side door.

"Sorry I was so long. I just couldn't decide what to wear," she tried to explain. "Do I look okay?"

"Yeah, you look fine," Nick rolled his eyes.

"Just fine?" Sara raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, you look amazing, stunning, exquisite, gorgeous…" Nick added with a sarcastic tone. "Are you ready to go?"

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, Nick, but yes, I'm ready when you are," Sara smiled as she made her way round to the passenger side door.

"Finally," Nick mumbled under his breath.

"Heard that," Sara smirked as she slipped into the car.

"Good," he smirked back.

"Just drive," Sara glared half-heartedly at him.

They drove in companionable silence for a few minutes as Nick concentrated on the road, and the lack of traffic that had bewildered him.

"We should, um, you know, maybe think about our story. You know, how we got together and stuff," Sara spoke up. "Get our story straight."

"Yeah, I guess we should," Nick nodded in agreement. "I can't exactly go around telling my sister that we first went out four months ago when you're saying two months. We've got to be on the same page."

Sara nodded. "Exactly. So when did you ask me out?"

"Why do I have to be the one that asked you out?" Nick questioned. "Why can't you have asked me?"

"Because it's just not what a women does; it seems like more of a man thing to ask out a close friend," she insisted.

"Ah, is that so?" Nick raised a curious eyebrow, trying not to smirk at her at the same time.

"When did you ask me out?" Sara repeated.

"Um, how about… four or five months ago?" Nick suggested.

"Five months sounds better," Sara decided. "So let's say, you asked me to breakfast at the diner and maybe neither of us realised that it was an actual date until…"

"You kissed me," Nick interrupted.

"I kissed you?" Sara raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, you kissed me when I walked you to your door," Nick smiled, proud with his quick yet plausible idea.

"Fine, I kissed you," Sara accepted defeat and tried to hide a blush as it crept onto her cheeks. That was actually quite romantic. You know, the fairytale kind of stuff. "But on our hypothetical first date? I dread to think what hypothetically happened on the second."

"Oh, I don't think my sister will want to hear about anything like that," Nick chuckled slightly nervously. The thought of Sara like that sort of caught him off guard. But he sort of liked it.

"I hope so."

"And speaking about my sister, I should probably tell you some things about her," Nick decided.

"Yeah," Sara nodded. "I bet she knows all sorts about me."

"Yeah, right," he smiled awkwardly as he kept his eyes fixed on the road so he hoped she wouldn't pick up on the pink tinge in his cheeks. His sister probably did know some things about Sara. "Well, Angie is my big sister, she's the eldest and there's nearly a ten year age difference. She works as a family lawyer, dealing with divorces and child custody issues. And it was through work that she met her husband, Chris, almost fifteen years ago and after eight years together they finally married when Angie was six months pregnant with my eldest niece, Lauren, who's now seven. They went on to have Abby two years later."

Sara silently nodded, letting the information register in her mind.

"And I think that's about it," he shrugged.

Sara nodded again and let out a soft sigh.

"Oh, that and they'll love you," Nick grinned.

About 20 minutes later, Nick and Sara were stood waiting near the entrance of the McCarran International Airport. The Dallas to Las Vegas flight was due in any minute and Sara's nerves were beginning to swirl in her stomach. This was an incredibly big deal for her; she'd hardly met any of the family members of any of her ex-boyfriends, she could count all her encounters on one hand, so the thought of meeting Nick's sister when she was playing his girlfriend was daunting. She definitely didn't want to mess it up.

"Hey, you can breathe you know," Nick chuckled.

Sara forced a smile and half a laugh. "But, um, but what if they don't like me?"

"They will like you," he insisted, placing his hand on her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "Why wouldn't they?"

Sara smiled and was about to say something else when she was cut off by 2 very excited little girls screaming for their uncle. Showtime.

"Uncle Nicky!" his nieces, Lauren and Abby, shrieked as they ran into Nick's open arms.

"Hey you two," Nick smiled at them as he pulled away. "How are my two favourite nieces doing?"

"We're fine, Uncle Nicky," Lauren giggled.

"Well, that's good," he chuckled before looking up and straightening up as his sister, Angie, approached. "Hey."

"Hey, baby brother," Angie smirked as she enveloped Nick in a bear hug.

Nick tried to stifle a laugh as he pulled out the hug. "How was your flight?"

"It was fine," she shrugged before looking over at Sara, stood awkwardly to one side. "But we seem to be being very rude. Hi, you must be Sara."

"Yep, that's me," Sara smiled a bit too enthusiastically.

"Sorry, Sar," Nick smiled softly. "Angela, this is Sara, and Sara, this is Angela."

"Angie," she corrected her little brother. "I haven't been Angela since high school."

"Nice to meet you, Angie," Sara added.

"Yeah, you too," Angie smiled. "It's great to finally meet you in person; we've heard lots about you."

"I figured as much," Sara smirked at Nick who pretended not to see it.

It was then that Angie noticed her daughters hiding behind her slightly. "Come on, girls. Stop being shy. Say hello to Sara."

The younger girl, Abby, smiled up at Sara first, closely followed by Lauren. And as they did so, Sara felt herself relax a little and let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Come on then ladies," Nick smiled as he glanced round at Angie and Sara. "Let's get out of here."

Lauren and Abby took one of Nick's hands each and walked with him towards the exit, leaving Angie to fall into step with Sara behind them.

Angie chuckled. "All of his nieces and nephews adore him, not just my two. They all seem to think he's just amazing."

"I'm not gonna argue with you there," Sara smiled, not missing a chance to help Nick convince Angie that they were made for each other.

Angie gave Sara a knowing look. "I guess you're just gonna have to get used to sharing him then."

After a day of visiting museums and an adventure park, the girls were exhausted. And no one could blame them; Nick would have happily joined them in a nap on the backseat of his Denali had he not been driving. He dropped Angie, Lauren and Abby at the hotel Angie had insisted they were going to stay at so they could have a couple of hours rest before they were having dinner with Nick and Sara at Nick's place. This gave Nick about 2 hours to prepare the meal and work out more of their story and relationship with Sara.

Thank you for reading. What do you think? I hope you like it. This was really quite fun to write. Note to self: need to never doubt what I write, especially if it's about a certain pairing from a certain show. I'm working on it. More to come soon. Review please.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer - Unfortunately, I don't own CSI, and sadly, I fear I never will.

A/N: Thanks for my reviews for the first chapter, means a lot to know that people can still take a few minutes to read my stories. Here's chapter 2. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

"Hey," Sara smiled as she opened Nick's front door. "Come on in. The food shouldn't be too much longer. Or so he tells me; could be a while yet."

"Hey, I recent that," Nick protested from the kitchen. "I'm a better cook than you."

"Yeah, but that's not hard," Sara smirked.

"Hey," Nick smiled as he came through from the kitchen. "Thought you three weren't coming for a minute there."

"Sorry. Abby couldn't find her sparkly shoes in the suitcase," Angie explained. "We didn't even pack them."

"Oops," Nick chuckled, glancing down at Abby.

"Yeah. But you should have seen the tears," Angie sighed. "I was nearly calling to cancel but they suddenly disappeared. They can't miss seeing Uncle Nick."

Lauren and Abby nodded.

"Go on then, girls. You can watch TV while I finish up," Nick insisted, pointing to the living room.

"I'm picking what we watch," Lauren said instantly as she ran off to the living room.

"No, I am," Abby argued as she chased after her sister.

Angie smiled as she watched her girls disappear. "Anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"I keep asking but he keeps saying no," Sara informed her. "We're banned from the kitchen."

"Nick, you're turning into mum," Angie shouted as she and Sara walked into the living room.

"Hey, I am not," Nick protested.

"He so is," Angie whispered to Sara. "Learned everything there is to know about cooking from her."

"Is that a bad thing?" Nick asked as he came out the kitchen to join in with the conversation.

"I don't know," Angie shrugged. "But it can't be good."

"Oh, just help Sara lay the table," Nick scoffed, turning back into the kitchen.

"Charming," Angie raised her eyebrows. "Ordering us around. He does know that slavery is against the law, right?"

"I offered before you came," Sara reasoned. "He won't let me do anything else so I thought I should do something. I mean, I can't let him take the credit for all of this, now can I?"

"You know what they say, behind every great man there's an even greater women," Angie grinned.

"Oh, don't say that," Nick teased. "It'll go to her head."

Once Sara and Angie had set the table correctly they sat down for a moment to inspect their handy work.

"He sure is something, isn't he?" Angie spoke up after a few moments of silence.

"Huh?" Sara was miles away and hadn't heard the question.

"Nick. I said he sure is something, isn't he?" she repeated.

"Oh yeah, of course," Sara smiled.

"You know, he never did tell me how you two got together," Angie hinted.

"Oh, well, it's… it's nothing special really," Sara stammered slightly. "Although, I guess, you know, it's special to us, for, um… for obvious reasons and, um…"

Angie chuckled lightly. "Are you gonna tell me or what?"

"I'm getting there," Sara smiled in spite of herself and tried to remember the story that she and Nick had come up with earlier that day. "Um, well, uh, maybe 5 or so months back Nick just asked me if I wanted to join him for breakfast, just the two of us, nothing too unusual but, I guess, something was different this time. And I sort of made that very clear when he walked me to my door and I just… I kissed him."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Angie smiled widely. "But I can't believe Nicky never mentioned you. Well, he mentioned you a lot but not that you two were dating."

Sara bit her lip to subdue a smile. "Well, I think he didn't say anything at first because we didn't know where this thing between us was heading. We knew how we felt about each other but we didn't want to risk our friendship and our working relationship if it didn't work out between us. It was only a month ago that we told the rest of our team, after… after we first slept together."

"A little too much information there," Angie raised an eyebrow. "But that makes sense. I think mum will forgive him."

Sara chuckled nervously before standing up. "Right, that's it. I don't care if we're banned from the kitchen, I'm going to see if he needs any help."

Sara walked into the kitchen and found Nick rummaging through one of his cupboards under the work top. Giving her a very lovely view of his… Sara quickly looked away. "Hey, need any help?"

Nick jumped at the sound of Sara's voice and hit his head on the inside of the cupboard. "Jeez, Sara, you nearing gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted to know if you needed any help."

"I'm good, thanks. I've got this covered," Nick smiled, standing up straight.

"Okay, but when we end up having to order take out because you messed up, don't blame me," Sara shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine, if you want to help you can stir that," Nick pointed to the pot on the stove. "While I look for a sieve for the pasta."

Sara walked over and started stirring as Nick went through cupboard after cupboard until his finally found what he was looking for. He placed the sieve down on the side and shuffled round the open cupboards to stand behind Sara, placing his hands on her hips and his chin on her shoulder.

He instantly felt Sara stiffen. "Angie's coming," he whispered.

Sara nodded, trying to keep her breathing even and slow. Why was being pinned between the work top and Nick's body having this effect on her? Answer was in the question.

"Would you look at that? You've successfully stirred bolognese sauce all by yourself," Nick teased. "I'm so proud."

"Shut up," Sara laughed, embarrassed at how bad at cooking he made her out to be. "I can do the stirring, it's everything else that goes with it that I struggle with."

"I might just have to teach you one time," Nick suggested. "Broaden your horizons."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Sara turned her head to look at him square on but instantly regretted it, realising just how close he was to her; their lips were a less than inch apart.

Angie stood in the doorway smiling a bit like a fool as she watched the display in front of her. Oh yeah, they were in it for the long haul.

"Oh, hey Angie. Didn't hear you come in," Nick smiled as he looked over his shoulder at his sister. "It shouldn't be too much longer now."

"That's what you said half an hour ago," she reminded them.

"Yes, but now I'm telling the truth," Nick insisted. "And it's your fault for coming too early."

"You said we were late before," Angie raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Details, details," Nick brushed off Angie's stated. "Now out of here you two, let the master finish working."

Sara rolled her eyes and moved out of Nick's embrace.

Sara and Angie went back into the dinning room and sat down, hoping the food really wouldn't take that much longer.

"Girls," Angie called them. "Come sit down; dinner's nearly ready."

The girls did as they were instructed and sat down opposite Sara and their mum. Angie was about to tell Lauren off for having her elbows on the table when there was a smash coming from the kitchen. Angie looked at Sara with a slightly concerned expression on her face, and Sara was pretty sure her expression mirror it.

"Nicky, you okay?" Sara shouted.

"Uh huh," Nick replied. "Just a slight plate mishap."

Angie sighed and stood up, glancing at Sara and they silently agreed for her to go lend Nick a hand this time. But it was only after Angie had walked out the room that Sara realised she was now looking after a 7 and a 5 year old. Oh God. Lauren and Abby looked up at Sara with their big, innocent eyes and Sara gulped, not sure of what to say.

"Are you going to be our aunt?" Abby asked as she gazed up at Sara.

Sara was taken slightly aback and didn't exactly know how to answer the question. Under the circumstances. She began to stutter. "Um, well, uh…"

"Would you like her to be?" Nick asked as he leaned against the dinning room doorframe, coming to see how Sara was managing with his nieces. They had a habit of asking awkward questions.

Abby shrugged. "She's pretty."

"I think so," Nick winked at Sara as she blushed at the compliment.

"But she kinda looks like your last girlfriend, Uncle Nicky," Lauren added.

"Oh, really?" Sara asked as she turned to face him properly. "And here I was thinking that you had a thing for redheads before you fell for me."

Nick smirked before turning and walking back into the kitchen, nearly colliding with Angie as was walking out with a plate of vegetable spaghetti bolognese in each hand. "Whoa, watch it Nick. I thought you'd left me to tidy up the mess you made."

"Would I do a thing like that?" Nick mocked a gasp.

"Let's just eat."

Nick brought through the other plates and they all sat in moderate silence as they ate. It was just as well no one had tried to spark up much of a conversation with Sara; she was miles away, on her own little planet. What had she been thinking when she'd said yes to pretending to be Nick's girlfriend? When she agreed to help him lie to his sister and nieces? When she accepted the fact that they would have to be all loved up and convincing? All logical thought must have been erased from her brain. Sara felt she was completely in over her head. Surely Angie could tell that they were very much not an item?

After they had finished eating, a cheesecake was planned for dessert but Lauren and Abby were too full and too tired. And even Nick didn't much care for any dessert either.

"Come on then you two," Angie sighed as she stood up from her seat at the table. "We should be heading back to the hotel."

"Ang, you really don't have to," Nick insisted. "I said you could stay here."

"Can we mum?" Lauren asked.

Nick shrugged. "You can have my bed and the girls can sleep in the spare room."

"And what about you?" Angie asked. "We can't have you out of a bed in your own house."

"I'll stay with Sara," Nick stated automatically.

Sara prayed her cheeks didn't look as red as they felt as she realised how that must have sounded.

"Is that alright?" Nick asked, noticing Sara stance change.

"Yeah, of course," she nodded, forcing a smile.

"Then it's settled," Nick stated. "We'll come back to see you off in the morning."

"Fine," Angie just agreed, realising how tired she was.

Nick and Sara left shortly after that. Sara finally thought she could breathe. Nick's house had been stuffy and warm from the cooking fumes so the fresh night air was a blessing.

"Do you think Angie believes us?" Sara asked as she opened her apartment door.

"Yeah, I'd believe our story if I didn't know it was fake," Nick smiled. He then went and laid down on Sara couch, using the throw as a blanket and a cushion from a chair in the corner as a pillow.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked.

"Sleeping," Nick stated. "Goodnight."

Sara sighed and just agreed with him. She was too tired to argue. This was the first time in a long time she was actually thankful that she had the night off, she could actually catch up on some sleep and hopefully return to work the following night and be refreshed and rejuvenated. But as she lay there in her bed she couldn't sleep for thinking about Nick and how comfy her sofa wasn't; she'd had the misfortune to accidentally fall asleep there once or twice and always woke with a aching back and a crick in her neck. Sara couldn't do that to Nick, she couldn't leave him to sleep of her sofa, not after the day he'd had running around after his nieces. That's it, her mind was made up. She climbed out of bed and walked through to her living room.

"Nick?" Sara let out a sigh in slight frustration as she leaned against the doorframe of her living room door.

"Yeah," Nick mumbled a reply.

"Come to bed with me."

"Excuse me?" Nick snapped his head in her direction.

"Come to bed with me," Sara repeated. "For innocent, harmless, no strings attached… sleep."

Nick exhaled deeply. "I wondered what you were going to say for a second there."

"I can't have you sleeping on my couch. I just can't," Sara continued.

"Aw, you do care," Nick smirked.

Sara turned on her heels and walked back towards her bedroom. "Are you coming or what?" she called out.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Nick replied.

At first, as Nick and Sara lay on their backs, side by side in Sara's bed, it was a little awkward, especially after the day they'd had trying to convince Angie that they were the real deal when they were anything but that. But soon they both fell into a deep, well needed sleep, still subconsciously aware of their proximity.

Thank you for reading. I hope everyone is liking this short story so far. There's gonna be one more chapter to come. Oh, I wonder what could possibly happen? Review please.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer - I don't own CSI, but hats off to those that do.

A/N: This is it, the third and final chapter. I told you it was only short. But thanks anyway to loads of you who reviewed and those of you who didn't review and just read. It really makes me smile when I get a review, so be sure to post another one after you've read this if you have the time. I will have something else up after this, just not sure what yet. In the meantime, enjoy!

Chapter 3

In the morning when they woke up, both still more or less in exactly the same positions they went to sleep in, Nick and Sara continued to lay next to each other awkwardly, neither knowing who should make the first move to get up.

"I'm so telling everyone at the lab about this," Nick grinned. "I slept with Sara Sidle."

"You slept _next_ to me," Sara smirked and slapped Nick on the chest. "Get up. You can take a shower first."

"Yeah. I did work up quite a sweat last night, didn't I?," he wiggled his eyebrows.

Sara just rolled her eyes, climbed out of bed and headed towards the kitchen to make some coffee. She couldn't help but smile as she heard Nick laugh before getting up himself.

An hour later:

"Good morning," Angie grinned as she answered the door.

"Hey," Nick yawned.

"Ooh, someone not get much sleep last night?" she teased.

"That's none of your business," Nick smirked, stepping inside his house.

"Hey, I don't care what you kids get up to," Angie defended herself. "Just make sure your prepared when you get her pregnant."

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that," he blushed.

"Where's Sara?" Angie asked.

"She's here," Sara announced as she came in and closed the door. "That brother of yours can't park a car to save his life."

"I can so," Nick argued. "You're just picky."

"Anyway," Angie interjected. "I just got off the phone with Chris and he's only an hour away."

"Aw, does that mean we are blessed with your presence for one more tiny hour?" Nick smirked.

"Shut up," she chuckled. "Yes, so we'll be out of your hair soon. And leave you two to do whatever it is you do during the day."

"About time," Nick smiled, casually wrapping an arm around Sara's shoulders. "Her bed isn't very comfy."

Sara could feel her cheeks burning as she found herself automatically retorting back. "Oh so was that why you weren't very good last night?"

Nick's eyes widened the moment he realised what she'd implied. His arm slipped of her shoulders as he turned slightly to look at her, to read her expression. Sara merely raised a suggestive eyebrow and winked. Angie could only bite her lip so she didn't start whole-heartedly laughing at the expression on her little brothers face.

"Uncle Nicky," Abby exclaimed as she bounded through from his bedroom that had been theirs for the evening.

"Hey, kiddo," Nick smiled and lifted her up. "What you up to?"

"We're doing a jigsaw," she stated. "It's really big, 200 pieces."

"Wow, 200 pieces, huh? Would you like some help?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Abby nodded enthusiastically.

"Go on then, I'll catch you up," Nick insisted as he placed her down on the floor and she ran off.

The three adults stood together in an awkward silence for a few moments, Sara's previous statement still hanging in the air. She couldn't believe she actually said something like that out loud. It's one thing to think something but as soon as those words leave your lips there's no taking them back. Sara had absolutely no idea why she was even thinking about such a private, intimate thing about a friend, albeit a rather attractive friend and she was his 'girlfriend' for the day but still, you just don't cross that kind of barrier, the friendship type, and wreck the friendship they had. Right?

"Uncle Nicky!" Abby stormed back in the room, pretending to be angry that he hadn't followed her. "Come on."

"I'll just…," Nick pointed in the direction of Abby as she walked away.

Sara nodded, completely avoiding all eye contact with him. As if the situation hadn't been awkward and embarrassing enough she had to go and make it worse, didn't she? _Well done, Sara. You excelled yourself this time._

"Coffee?" Angie suggested once Nick had disappeared.

"Please," Sara nodded.

Just over an hour later there was a knock at the door and Lauren ran to answer it first. It was, after all, her daddy on the other side. After Chris had been introduced to Sara and Angie had packed all of Abby and Lauren's things together they were ready to leave. Much to the two little girls' dismay.

"You two behave yourself, okay?" Nick insisted as he gave Lauren and Abby a hug at the same time. "That goes for you too, Chris."

"Funny," he smirked, and glanced over at Sara. "What do you see in this guy again?"

"Good question," Sara smiled. "But it would take me way too long to answer."

As soon as the girls released their Uncle Nicky, the only one left to say goodbye was Angie.

"Whoa, Ang," Nick gasped as Angie almost jumped him.

"Try not to let this one go this time. Sara's a keeper," Angie whispered.

"I'll, um… I'll bear that in mind," he sighed.

"Come on ladies. Time to go home," Chris stated.

"Bye, Uncle Nicky," Lauren pouted as they walked out to the car.

"Bye, sweetheart," he smiled.

"It was lovely meeting you, Sara," Angie commented, glancing back at Sara who was leaning against the front doorframe.

"Yeah, you too," Sara smiled.

"Until next time?" Angie asked.

Sara nodded, as the family piled into the car and drove away.

Nick let out a sigh and closed the front door. He was glad that he'd gotten to see his nieces which he, sadly, rarely gets to spend time with due to his terrible work schedule. But at the same time he was sort of glad they were gone. Maybe it was because for the first time in goodness knows how long he'd introduced a fraction of his family to his 'girlfriend'. Maybe the fact that he was trying to lie to his family, something he wasn't all that proud of, that the time whole he and Sara had spent with his sister and nieces he felt on edge and hadn't relaxed at all. Now, however, he could relax. He'd successfully lied to his sister and she'd believed him.

"You want to stay for a while?" Nick asked as he flopped down on his sofa.

"Um…," Sara hesitated for a moment, not quite sure why though.

"Come on, it'll be better than sitting at home on your own until shift starts. Or is my company that bad?" Nick raised an eyebrow.

"No, not at all. It's just…," Sara sighed.

"It's just, what?" he asked, getting frustrated.

"It's just that we've just spent the last day together, and we'll be seeing each at work in a few hours. I don't want you getting tried of seeing me," Sara lied.

"I could never get tried of seeing you, Sunshine," Nick winked, causing a slight blush to form on Sara's cheeks.

"You know what they say, you can have too much of a good thing," she stated.

"Not too much of you."

Sara mocked an exasperated sigh, genuinely enjoying his flattering comments and flirtatiousness. "Why do you have to be so damn charming?"

"It's a gift," Nick smirked.

Sara finally gave in. "Fine, I'll stay…"

"Well I wouldn't want to force you into doing something you didn't want to do," Nick insisted, still half smirking.

"But only if I get to pick the movie we watch," Sara continued.

"What makes you think we're gonna be watching a movie?" Nick questioned.

"Well, what else would we be doing?" Sara countered.

Nick was about to answer but Sara cut him off.

"Are you seriously thinking about that and me in the same sentence?" Sara raised an eyebrow.

"Thinking about you? No," Nick shook his head. "Dreaming about you tonight? Most definitely."

Sara let out a low breath as she tried to keep a straight face. "Where's your movie collection again?"

Sara glanced at Nick, trying to locate his eyes and not his lips. Truth be told, the just over an hour and a half she'd spent sat next to him, trying to pay attention to the movie they were watching and not the arm he had lounged over her shoulders, had been pure torture. Could anyone actually blame her for not wanting to stay and be subjected to that level of hell? Did Nick have any idea what he did to her?

Nick looked at Sara at the same time. He could have sworn he saw a glint of something in her eye. Longing? Lust? Need? Passion, maybe? Which ever, Nick couldn't help but like what he thought he saw; it could have easily been his own clouded mind that wanted Sara to give him a reason to act on the tension between them. Either way, whether it was real or not, Nick had to do something. He wanted to do something.

Nick sucked in some air, and perhaps some courage, as he leaned towards Sara fairly quickly, not wanting Sara to reject to what was happening until it actually had. And not wanting to second guess himself at all; he wanted this, to hell with the consequences. He wanted her to want this. As their lips met, Nick wondered what had taken him so long not to have kissed her already.

Sara was slightly stunned as she felt his lips on hers. But his advances weren't unwanted or discouraged. She found herself automatically responding to the feel of his soft lips moving against hers. Sara smiled against his lips as she felt his hands come to rest of her hips, triggering her owns hands on a mission along his arms and to the back of his neck. After a few minutes of sweet, gentle kisses, they began to transform into everything Nick had thought he'd seen in Sara's eyes moments before he made his move. Sara opened her mouth slightly to let out a soft whimper and Nick took this as an invite for his tongue to explore her mouth. And she happily obliged, leaning back against the left arm of the sofa and pulling Nick down on top of her.

When they finally pulled apart, both Nick and Sara were extremely breathless, yet extremely happy and overwhelmed, the good kind of overwhelmed, by what they had just done. Sure they hadn't slept together, yet, but that kiss had changed their relationship permanently.

Sara licked her lips and was about to say something when Nick kissed her again, fully convincing her that this wasn't a dream. It was way better than any dream she'd ever had. Nick then unceremoniously found his feet and stood up, still partially hovering over her. Panic flickered in Sara's eyes for a second, instantly coming to the conclusion that Nick must be about to ask her to leave, about to tell her it was the biggest mistake of his life. Much to Sara's surprise, Nick leaned down and stole one more kiss before reaching for her hand and he gently pulled her to her feet. Stood mere inches from him, Sara felt her heart do back flips as Nick began to guide her in the direction of his bedroom.

"You don't mind joining me, do you?" Nick grinned.

Sara shook her head. "Only because it's you."

A month later:

"Hello," Nick greeted as he answered his phone.

"Nicky," his mum, Jillian, exclaimed down the phone. "I thought you were ignoring me; I've been calling you all week."

"Sorry, mum, been super busy at work," he tried to explain. "I did get all your messages though, and I was gonna call you back later."

"How are you?" she asked. "You must be tried."

"Yeah, I am, but I'm still making time to see Sara whenever I can," Nick smiled.

"How is she?" Jillian asked.

"She's fine, but like me she's tried," Nick answered. "Sick and tried of pulling double and triple shifts."

"But you are still coming to see us next week, aren't you?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I think so. I think Grissom gave us a couple of nights of so I think we're coming," Nick nodded.

"You think?"

"Mum," Nick chuckled. "I know we're coming."

"Good, because we keep hearing so much about Sara from you and Angie and the girls keep telling us about her and how nice she is, how gorgeous she is, that your father and I can't wait to meet her," Jillian insisted. "And I still can't believe that you've been dating Sara for so long and we didn't even know you were seeing anyone until your sister came to visit you, and that we still haven't met her. Angie seems to think she may be the one."

Nick gulped. He instantly felt guilty that his family wanted to meet Sara and they hadn't been already. He knew why though, because much to the contrary of what they all thought, he'd really only been seeing Sara on a romantic level for a month and so they were working on getting to know each other as more than just friends. And Nick was enjoying every minute of it, and was so pleased when Sara had said she wanted to meet the rest of his family.

"Nicky?" Jillian's voice broke Nick out of his thoughts. "You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here," Nick sighed. "Um, mum?"

"Yeah, Nick."

"Um, I, uh, I have a slight confession to make," Nick took a deep breath before continuing. "See, um, Sara and I haven't really been dating for as long as you all think, for as long as we told Angie. We've really only been together a month."

"What?" Jillian gasped. "Nicky, what are you talking about?"

"Um, it's a… it's a long story," he replied sheepishly. "But you'll laugh when you hear it. I hope."

"I'm listening."

Thank you for reading. That was just a bit of fun inspired by the season 12 episode Malice In Wonderland that I saw over a week ago. It was the one when Mrs Hodges came to visit. It got me thinking. And I just had to Snickerify it. So tell me what you thought of it. Good? Bad? Review please.


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